Hey! National Park fans! If you’ve been looking for the best day to head into your favorite U.S. National Park, tomorrow is probably one of the best! For the first time since April 22, all national parks throughout the United States are free to enter!
The free-fee day allows visitors to enter all National Parks at absolutely no cost. Recreation fees, like camping, boat launches, tours, and transportation, are not covered by the celebration.
The August 4th free entry day celebrates the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act, passed back in 2020. The act works to improve infrastructure and expand opportunities for the American public to recreate in National Parks and other public lands. It also established the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund and provides funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The National Park service holds a total of five annual free entry days throughout the year. Martin Luther King Jr. Day marks the first free day of the year, falling on the third Monday of January (January 15 for 2024). The first day of National Park Week, which celebrates the parks and those who work tirelessly to keep them open, is the second of the free days, falling on April 22 in 2023.
After Friday’s free entry day, you’ll have two more day this year to enter the parks without being charged a dime. National Public Lands Day, typically the nations largest single-day volunteer effort, falls on September 23 this year (though we encourage you to volunteer if you’re able to). November 11, Veteran’s Day, closes out the free-entrance days for the season, but you’ll only have to wait a few months until Martin Luther King Jr. Day brings the entrance fees to zero once again.
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Image Credit: National Park Service via Facebook